Maxim Institute: No. 135, 4 NOVEMBER 2004
Two is not enough
Is the Charities Bill still a muzzle?
Kiwis call state housing home
Care of Children Bill - in urgency
Prostitution referendum petition extended
Change Agent Workshop Masterton next Tuesday
Two is not enough
Singapore is getting smaller. In the 1970s, when the average number of children per woman was six, Singapore worried
about overpopulation, and launched a "Stop at Two" campaign. That campaign worked so well that the government had to
reverse its policy. In 1987, it launched a "Have Three or More" policy, but that didn't work. So the government, which
once rewarded parents who had themselves voluntarily sterilised, shifted to offering paid maternity leave, thousands of
dollars in baby bonuses, and tax breaks for nannies.
In The Empty Cradle, Phillip Longman reports that "no industrialised nation still produces enough children to sustain
its population over time, or to prevent rapid population aging."
Figures released yesterday by Statistics NZ show we are having a mini baby-boom. But long term, New Zealand faces a
birth and superannuation crisis as population aging threatens to create retirement problems.
Increased immigration will not make up the shortfall in new births. Though immigrants often arrive with their families,
the next generation of immigrants is likely to adopt any anti-natalist values prevalent in the host culture.
According to the Howard Center, a think-tank in the USA, religion, not government regulation, holds the key. Director
and writer, Allan Carlson, who has done considerable research on this issue, argues that neither free-market nor
socialist explanations of falling fertility fit the facts. Increasing secularisation, on the other hand, is a good
predictor of decreasing fertility. A secular culture is often masked to the negative attitude toward children inherent
in a secular world view. However, in places where religion is viable, Carlson says, you can expect to see higher
birth-rates.
Is the Charities Bill still a muzzle?
The Government has promised significant changes to the Charities Bill, which looks set to be passed into law by the end
of this year. However, in a rare moment of agreement, ACT and the Greens both warn that the Bill could still act as a
muzzle on charities who combine their work with community and national activism on social and political issues.
The Bill will establish a Commission which will register and monitor charities. Registration is voluntary, but charities
will miss out on tax exemption if they don't sign up. Provisions in the Bill under fire from charities and political
parties include prohibiting officers of charities from getting indemnity insurance, requiring the charities to fund the
Commission through fees, when other commissions are funded from taxes, and the Commission's wide powers to de-register
charities for various reasons, including carrying out activities that are not central to their charitable purpose.
Commerce Minister Margaret Wilson has announced some changes to the proposed legislation, including a $9.8 million
commitment from government, which will mean that the initial registration process to the Commission will be free for all
charities. Charities earning less than $10,000 a year will not be required to pay ongoing fees, and those earning more
than $10,000 a year will pay annual fees ranging from $50-$75.
Ms Wilson is also asking members of the Social Services Select Committee to consider codifying the common law so that
charities can undertake secondary purposes, for example advocacy, in support of their charitable purposes. Whilst these
proposed changes do make some improvement, Green MP Sue Bradford says they ignore the real concerns of the voluntary
sector, that it remain free from excessive government control. ACT MP Muriel Newman said the Bill was opposed by
virtually all the charities that made a submission, and it has the power to undermine the voluntary infrastructure
underpinning civil society.
For more information visit http://www.charitiesbill.co.nz
Kiwis call state housing home
Housing New Zealand's Annual Report released last month shows that almost 9400 families became dependent on the state
for their housing last year. The Minister for Housing proudly announced that this means almost 185,000 Kiwis now call a
state house 'home'. These families may never own their own home and it is likely that they will be further reliant on
the state to meet their basic needs.
The second report from the New Zealand Institute, It's not just about the money: The benefits of asset ownership, was
released shortly after Housing New Zealand's. It highlighted the importance for households and communities of owning
assets such as real estate. This indicates it would have been more positive to announce that the $3.7 million from the
Housing Innovation Fund for state housing was instead being used to assist those 9400 families into their first home.
Low-cost housing should be available for families as a last resort, but the numbers of people requiring state housing
should be decreasing, not increasing. Kiwi families gaining the independence and pride that comes with ownership of
their first home would be a far greater cause for celebration.
However, on a more positive note, the Housing Innovation Fund in partnership with the newly established 'Housing
Aotearoa' has made $64 million available for community-based organisations, such as church groups, iwi and housing
associations that provide housing. Community organisations have traditionally been in a much better position than a
centralised government system to address real need when it arises, so this is a positive move.
Care of Children Bill - in urgency
This week the government announced its intention to speed up the committee stage of the Care of Children Bill, with
uninterrupted debate so that it can be passed next Tuesday.
For more info visit: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3082846a6160,00.html
Anyone concerned about the Care of Children Bill should contact their MP this week. http://www.maxim.org.nz/letter/cu_letter.php
Prostitution referendum petition extended
MPs Larry Baldock and Gordon Copeland presented over 140,000 signatures on the petition form for a referendum to the
clerk at parliament last week, and a two month extension has been approved. With the number of signatures required to
secure a referendum being reduced to 271,000, over half have already been collected. The organisers are asking that all
signed petition forms be posted as soon as possible before Christmas.
For more information, and to pledge to collect signatures visit http://www.stoptheabuse.org.nz
Change Agent Workshop Masterton next Tuesday
Masterton will host the tenth Change Agent workshop for 2004 on Tuesday 09 November. The seminar will address the
current issues of civil unions, education and hate speech.
For more information visit: >www.maxim.org.nz/main_pages/whatson_page/whatson.html
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK - Sir Winston Churchill
Where does the family start? It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl - no superior alternative has yet
been found.